Karnataka bus strike: Notices to over 17,000 employees

The Hindu

3 days ago

The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has served show-cause notices to around 8,000 of its employees for participating in the August 5 strike, which was called in defiance of the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), 1981. Across the four State-run transport corporations — KSRTC, BMTC, NWKRTC and KKRTC — a total of nearly 17,000 notices were issued on August 6, a day after the strike, officials confirmed.
The strike was part of a State-wide agitation led by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Road Transport Corporation (RTC) employees, who launched an indefinite protest from 6 a.m. on August 5.
While Bengaluru city saw minimal disruption with a 100% bus operation rate, the rest of Karnataka witnessed significant service disruptions. The overall operational efficiency across the State was reported to be 71.9%.
Officials said the show-cause notices were issued to those who failed to report for duty on August 5 despite ESMA, 1981 being in force, and the Karnataka High Court directing the unions to call off the protest. 'We are awaiting responses from the employees. Action will be taken based on the replies to the notices,' a senior Transport Department official said.
Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy defended the issuance of notices, terming it a routine procedure when employees skip work despite ESMA, 1981 being in enforce. 'This is not unique to our department. Even health, education, and police departments, if ESMA, 1981, is in effect and employees take part in a strike, notices are issued,' Mr. Reddy explained to The Hindu.
The Minister added that there was no cause for alarm among employees. 'In 2021, during the 15-day RTC strike, around 2,500 employees were suspended. This was only a half-day to one-day strike with fewer participants. So, there won't be any major consequence,' he said.
However, Mr. Reddy expressed disappointment over the defiance of court direction by the RTC unions. 'It was wrong to go ahead with the strike despite the High Court's directions. At the very least, the court should have been respected,' he said, adding that the government would always comply with legal directions in such matters.
Strike caused ₹20 crore loss
Mr. Reddy said that the one-day strike by RTC employees had resulted in an estimated loss of nearly ₹20 crore for the transport corporations.
'This kind of disruption, even if for just a day, has a significant financial impact. The corporations operate on tight margins, and any drop in service affects not just daily revenue but also the public who depend on these services. Officials are currently going through the data and compiling detailed reports to assess the exact financial losses incurred across all four transport corporations,' Mr. Reddy said.
The JAC's primary demands include implementation of a revised salary structure effective from January 1, 2024, and the release of pending arrears for 38 months covering January 2020 to February 2023. The unions also want the revised pay scale to remain valid until December 31, 2027.
In addition to salary issues, the employees have sought an increase in various allowances, enhanced medical benefits, and regularisation of contract-based drivers and technical staff. They have demanded that electric buses be operated only by permanent staff and have opposed the involvement of contract workers in e-bus operations.
During a meeting held on August 4, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had offered to release arrears for 14 months if the strike was withdrawn. However, the JAC rejected the proposal, standing firm on their demand for full settlement of 38 months' worth of dues.
The strike by JAC was eventually postponed following the Karnataka High Court's directions on August 5.